I used 2 x 4 dog lot wire for the top on mine and it WILL keep big stuff out. SOOOOO many chicken littles crying out, "the sky is falling" Dang, some might think ya'll are children and not mature (not old) wise parents of 4 boys!! That lumber will be fine used to brace tin sides or whatever YOU decide to use it for!! Lordy, people. Meg, Ben, I think you can figure things out based on how many farms ya'll have been on and the 'steaders you follow and the gardens you have visited!!! Send prayers people, not "chicken little" advice!!! There is no one remotely knowledgable out here that doesn't know about arsenic in the old pressure treated lumber, these people are from Cali!!!!! The strangest, weirdest, most regulated state in the US! 🤣😂 Sorry, (not sorry), but ya just gotta' laugh at some of the comments!! @Out In The Country is right, everything we do is personal and individual to each one of us!! There are TOO many deciding blanket issues that affect us all that should remain an individual decision! Peace out and LOVE each other, abide in God's Love First, and all will be well in the end! Love and kisses! Not too late to plan a fall garden with the collards, kales, cabbages, that will take you through the winter!! Jim Wilson just showed a video of his covered beds. You can cover the greens and eat fresh all winter long! My collards were covered in 13" of snow and were so good and they weren't covered either. Never even suffered a brown leaf from it.
Yes, Ben and Meg are such capable people. When they do feel the need for advise or a helping hand, all those friends that were there on demo day have a wealth of knowledge and experience between them. They have a plan and the will. The rest of us can enjoy watching the journey.
Sweet people, I am very happy for you! So looking forward to your adventure in building your homestead. Also very happy you mentioned you are not working yourselves to exhaustion and forgetting why you are doing this! Family the most precious gift! ❤❤❤
Nancy Hall Sweet Potato -- Kudos on propogating this rare variety! I love your idea of spreading slips around to preserve the heirloom variety. So glad that Miss Charlotte is propogating hers to replace the ones her dad lost. That kind of thing can bring a grown man to tears! Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA -- 7/3/2019.
You might want to check out a simple radiant barrier for the roof of your chicken palace, and stacking straw bales around the walls. As long as they aren't getting too wet to hurt the steel siding, along with the barrier, it will keep your mother cluckers warm in the winter and cool through the summer.
It's great to see you both so happy! We bought 4 acres in NZ 5 years ago, still got tons to do but don't care! We're just enjoying the peace and quiet and family time. 😁
Think about planting flowers as a cash crop.. Low or no maintenance types like bulb or tuber types, Irises, lilies and even hibiscus bushes. Also sunflower seeds are cheap. Plant tons at the edge of the woods, along fence rows etc, as a food source for winter. Plant them by the swamp to beautify it and make it useful.
Love that open floor plan ; ) When I rehabbed the old farmhouse I'm in now, I wanted thicker insulation, so I sistered in wider studs and used six inch fiberglass insulation. The house is so much easier to heat and doesn't get hot till afternoon. About the only folks who don't have to worry about a winter fuel bill are the people who have an outdoor wood furnace. In the summer I use box fans in the windows and pull air into the house from the shady side of the house and push it out the window of the sunny side of the house. Also, when I wash, I'll hang the laundry on hangers from close to the ceiling where the fan bringing air into the house blows on the clothes and get "evaporative cooling"! It's really nice!
Think about getting a couple of geese to protect your flock. They will kill snakes and warn you of any other predators trying to get in. I love seeing you guys bring life back to that old property. It's something I've dreamed of for a lot of years but am unable to do so it's fun to see you do it.
Wow, so much has changed. That mobile home was like crossing out of the desert into the promise land!!! You made it!!! ALL that help was truly God's provision. Continued blessings.
I so enjoy watching you , i also bought 13.4 acres last spring all wooded, and had enought money left to clear a driveway and spot for tiny home, but then everything was on hold as i had 3 surgeries for cancer, i hope to get started soon on my plans,but meanwhile i'm cheering you on, Love the plans, God bless
You have the bones of a home, which is fixable. Will take time. Really need a good herd dog and goats or whatever you need. We had a few dogs all Black Labs in the Bush and helped with leading bears and wolves away, only 1 in all the years got bite, within a week he was out. Our neighbors 10 - 20 miles away had purebred dogs. Mine were left or found. I knew if the kids were doing something wrong or in danger the barks were different. No snakes there but other danger people showing up how I don't know? Boats,Helios & puddlejumbers only way in to us. Great life and so much nature. You are building a better life for your Family life. Peace, Love with Harmony sent.
Unless you know how old that pressure treated wood is, you will probably not want to plant food in garden beds made from it. It may have arsenic in it.
Megan and Ben you little love birds sitting in a tree. You guys look so sweet together. Love you all though we never have met. How can that ever be? Continued prayers as you build your life together as one.
I have been involved in building houses and remodelling for over 40 years. I have worked helping people repair their trailers a few times. Get a permit and put up a six room house that you can incorporate into your grand design. A trailer is a twenty year house. Has to be rebuilt every 20 years. Cheaper to do it right one time, even if it means waiting until you can afford it. My ex gf had a trailer that a hurricane ruined. She had a 16x 40 shed I converted to finished living space from framing to finish. For about ten thousand. That included a full bath, kitchen, electrical, plumbing, painted and trimmed, new flooring. I did all the work. So there was no labor cost. She said it was nicer than trailer ever was. Took the mini split from the trailer for the hvac. The hot water heater was also salvaged from the trailer.
If you put chicken wire right over the coop roof and plant climbers (pretty, edible or both) to grow over it that will help keep the roof cool and use the extra growing space.
When we moved to my daddys farm in western Va, he told us "now, theres a big 'ol black snake in the out buildings, leave him alone". Black snakes keep mice, rats and poisonous snakes away so leave them alone. We had chickens, but the snake never messed with them or the eggs. We had a raccoon get in the hen house, the chickens free ranged from then on out, they roosted in the bushes.
The Carolinas seem to have the market on supersize rat snakes. They are incredible climbers as well. I have put plastic snake fence on the coop area from starting 6 inches underground to cover all the walls, gables and roof areas. Have had snakes everywhere, but none on the coop area so far. Time to get a snake hook and grabber to escort them back into the woods. I keep the grass very short around the house and barn. Snakes don't like being in the open and after 40 years of watching them I find them in hiding places everywhere we live. We even had a rat snake home visit. That was interesting.
Yes, I understand the feeling of "pressure" that accompanies an attempt to preserve and perpetuate something extremely rare! I'm working on three heirloom varieties for 2019: Pawnee Eagle Corn, Warted Incan Creampuff squash, and Ozette Potato. I wish you every success with your endeavors! Kate.
Like it or not, I've "adopted" your family! Love watching your dreams come true, thanks for generously sharing with us all! Glad you are keeping family-time in the forefront, you don't want your boys to come to hate the move if it's all work. Can't wait to see what chickens you get! Old tires make great dust baths.
Bird netting will catch and hold snakes, they try to go through but end up dying. Last year our hens were saved from five copperheads that tried unsuccessfully to get into their pen. This year, so far the netting has saved them from three copperheads and three big chicken snakes. I buy the 14 x 14' netting and cut it to the width I want to use.
On the garden, start out small. You guys can grow a ton of food in as little 100 square feet. Then do a green manure crop like clover legume mix in a larger area for next growing season . Low maintenance and doable quickly without a large amount of money or risk.
When you live in the south you learn to tackle outdoor chores early in the am and late in the afternoon as the sun lowers in the sky. I’m out in the garden just before sunrise and before sunset. Of course the other thing is the mosquitoes and giant creepy crawlies that live out here are another consideration on planning projects. Love your family and your enthusiasm and optimism. I’m a child of the 80’s so I’m loving the references and music. Take care!
You guys are ding great! The coop is coming along, the trash is being relocated, you have a fire pit and the start of a vegetable washing station! Amazing. You can be very proud of the work you've accomplished. CHICKENS!! Blessings from NE Missouri!
I have some heirloom sweet potatoes from my great grandfather. My family has planted them every year for probably close to 100 years. They are the best sweet potatoes I have ever had. The inside of them is a lot darker than what you buy in the store. If you want some I can get you some slips. I have a ton left over. I also live in NC.
That's great about the spring and the water test! Must have good water. And I'm sure y'all already know about guineas and ticks, and ducks and snakes, so that's covered. With chickens and a few rabbits to supply black gold, your garden should look like Eden in no time! 👍🏻✌🏻
You might like Rhode Island Reds. They lay huge double-yoke brown eggs and are big enough for meat. They lay an egg a day each. Murray McMurray had chicks on sale and might still. I've tried flocks of all the other large egg layers and have ended up favoring these. They're easy going. Another thing that has worked well for me and them is to let them out to roam one hour before roosting. That way they get fresh bugs and grass then go back in by themselves before having time to dig dust holes, eat the garden and destroy the flower beds! When they are let out they are so funny to watch because they're so excited. Guineas are wonderful for warning you of predators and strangers, plus they eat every bug, flea and tick . . and termites! If you raise them with the chicks, they will also safely roost with them and be protected. Fall weather will be pure Heaven! :)
I am maybe repeating myself but Hunny and I were 14 years remodeling our retirement home while we lived in it. Just pace yourselves and you'll get there. Remember that children grow up FAST and you can NEVER get those years back so just know that this is YOUR life and we only see what it is you are comfortable sharing so advice without all the pertinent facts is of no real use. I only ask to be enlightened and entertained while peeking into your world...you're doing a fine job building YOUR dream so never second guess your decisions and enjoy this journey building the Holler Homestead!!!:):):)
Hope y'all are going to make a weekly trip to habitat for humanity restore . Every day new merch comes in . When you're rehabbing or doing remodel it's worth the trip if it's not too far away
Reposting: Hi Meg and Ben. The wooden crate shown at 10:48 is most likely a fruit crate. Since it is a larger size, my suspicions are for apples. We see wood crates all over the place at orchards in eastern WA. Farmers stack the fruit crates on pallets and then use a forklift to store the apples before processing or shipping. The wood from fruit crates is not pressure-treated, so it could be used for your raised bed garden. Best wishes, Kate.
Looking great so far! Enjoy your time together and building together too. When we finally get our/my spot it will be bitter sweet. Fulfillment of my husband and I's dream. Praying he will live to get to move on to it as he was diagnosed with stage 4 gallbladder cancer 3 months ago. Every day we are together is a giant gift from God. Hence why I said enjoy your time together building your dream because as we all know tomorrow is not promised.
fyi: OUT IN THE COUNTRY is a couple starting a homestead. they are rebuilding their mobile home. gutting it and redesigning. the 'dad' explains things really well. and the chicken coop he built is awesome. can't wait to see you in your home! you two are just too cute. this old lady loves watching your journey. god bless
I would suggest you add a room on the mobile home...at the family room. Possibly storage and/or closet...just to give more space. If you would like to use wood heat, this would be the place. You could put a screen porch on it, or, go all the way to the front to expand the kitchen. I know there will be canning and freezing...would give you space for a freezer.. Just a suggestion...but something that would only make sense when you're doing the renovation, Love what you're doing.
Yes Michael cook even As a minimalist, if you plan to do any canning or have a large pantry Etc you need that room. Eventually a screened-in porch is vital here in the south. It's an extra room so you can feel outside and not deal with bugs. Put a fan overhead and it's wonderful. You will spend a lot of time out there. Just don't put it on the Southside
God bless you and your family. A juvenile hawk got in to our chick nursery last year. It had that black netting on it. My 2 cents, hardware cloth is better. Enjoy this time of your life. Please don't feel like you must rush. Good things will come.
I hate that people leave trash all over their property. We are still cleaning up trash from our land. Dump fees add up. You guys are going so great! Keep up the good work. Y’all are a great team! You need goats and pigs ASAP❤️.
Hi guys, from Missouri! Make sure the coop is tight (I got ¼ inch hardware cloth on my window) so I can leave it open all the time. We started our homestead last year and I wanted a permanent coop but also grass for chickens. We have the chicken door in the middle of a back wall and I didn't build a run. Instead I use 164ft long premier 1 electric fence and move it periodically from left to center to right of the chicken door. Top is open. I did put a pair of Turkey decoys (used for hunting) with their heads looking up-ish in the "pen" and moved them daily to look more real 😉 We got a lot of hawks but never lost a chicken. The fence did fry up a black snake once and a skunk too. Also when chicks were little I put cd's on the grass (shiny side up) pointing different directions to blind the hawks if they ever tried to swoop down 😉 We don't need the Turkey decoys anymore. The skin could've been a black snake, you want those around (just not in the coop) they will get rid of copperheads. Wish you best of luck!
Someone mentioned getting goats for the kudzu. They will also take care of poison oak and ivy. I feed mine big bale hay in a rack during the winter. the hay they drop on the ground makes a great compost pile. Just something to think about You guys are doing a great job. Best of everything for you!!
Do you know what kind of chemical pesticides are in that pressure-treated lumber? They say with some pesticides you need to be careful handling the wood and that burning can send some of the arsenic up in smoke so don't inhale. I am so happy for you ALL! Baby steps and I will be scouting around for Nancy Hall sweet potatoes. Have a great rest of the week.
Love watching the progress. Y'all are great at passing on the vision, I can see your future homestead in my mind. "Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it." Hab 2:2
We bought twenty acres last June and moved our camper to the land last September, where we've been living since then. We sold our home of fourteen years and am now building our little cabin in the woods. This journey is amazing and I certainly understand the amount of work that y'all are having to put in. It is so worth it. We got our garden in this spring and it has been a game changer for us. We will expand it next year, but it is providing food for us this summer. I am SO excited for y'all to get something in the ground. God is so good y'all! Keep doing what your doing and if you get enough propagated, I'd love to help preserve those heirloom sweet potatoes. 💖
If you have raccoons around they are smart and flexible to crawl through slim area. Enjoy your homestead, do what you can, enjoy the planning, sunrises, sunsets and your family. Blessings!
We've got that red film too in our creek. I never knew what it was. It makes sense that it is related to iron. We have a bunch of old scrap iron that someone dumped upstream in our creek. There is none of it upstream of the scrap iron.
Welcome to NC gang, when it is hot it is hot. You are doing the right thing work early and late and rest the middle of the day. That is what my wife and I do in remodeling our new home. I have to have my nap time hahaha just take your time and it will happen before you know it.
I was really hoping the snake skin was a rare piece of teakwood grown on your property, but no such luck. You are taking the new types of critters very well, and I say southern living ain't for sissies! Doing things in shifts during this heat is wise. Love the tours! Love you guys!
"Dancing".....totally laughed out loud!!🤣🤣🤣 You guys are doing great. Glad your taking time during the day to hang with the boys. You dont burn yourselves out and the boys love it. After all, they been hanging out with you for months on end with your country travel. You both need to go jump in the pool!! Love seeing your videos. ❤❤❤
It's so nice to hear how happy you are the traveling time is over time to put your land feet and hands put to work it all takes time good luck with everything your on the straight and narrow love to hear from you and your beautiful voices ,hugs from CANADA 🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️
I love you guys on that not wasting....it's not just a money saver it's the saving the planet;) and teaching kids right.... not to be wasteful and be more adaptable....
So awesome to be working on your OWN property! I totally understand about the heat. We are dealing with the same here in Kentucky. I have taken to doing outside work mostly in the morning and early evening. Inside work I try to reserve for the hottest time of the day. Speaking of work on the homestead. Have you heard of, or seen any of The Self Reliant Roadshow? I did a shout out for them on my channel. They are doing some AWESOME work! Everybody talks about "community", but Bob and Mrs. B are actually doing something to encourage making connections and building community. They are traveling the country to homesteads where they have been invited and helping with from anything from simple projects, to advice in certain areas of homesteading, to major projects like helping Jeff at Bobblehead Homestead get his new home ready to move into. I am asking other channels to help them out by giving them a shout out. They are doing some really great work and deserve to be spot lighted. I go into more detail on my video "This Is Important". PLEASE, check them out and consider giving them a shout out.
If you take bunches of oregano after cleansing it will keep the orange away. Clay in the soil. wrap bushes with jute and tie it around edges of water source. add to it as needed let oregano decompose natural. a lot at first but in time less less will be needed we done it to our spring bed. Plant it close to your water sources Yeah. FYI. might help
It's funny how much you can come to love people you've never actually met. This is WAY beyond mail order brides and that worked out really well for a lot of folks during that time. This is more like "adopt a family!" I woke up thinking about you this morning. What do you think about painting the inside of those walls with a bleach mixture to make sure you kill any mold spores that might have been hiding behind the sheetrock and insulation? No one's living in there yet, so it could dry and air out for weeks, as needed. Open all the windows on the hot/windy days. By the time you're ready to paint and re-insulate, I would think the walls would be ready? Who in these comments has experience with something like this? What's the best way to seal... treat... recondition walls in this condition?
Love the out door sink. Yes, plant sunflowers, they entice bird life. You have done so much cleaning up. You have certainly been working hard. Interesting about the bacteria and the use of drops of chlorine to clean the water. Good priorities guys, family life is so important. Kids will remember their childhood and wow, they certainly are making some great memories. Have fun and keep those smiles happening, so good to see. Cheers, Jo from Australia xxxxx
Great work so far guys. As for the heat -- welcome to the South -- just take it easy and hydrate. Get the kids some good canteens or stainless steel water bottles they can carry around with them, and make sure they stay hydrated while out and about doing kid things. Camelbaks may not be a bad idea. That way they won't set it down and forget it. Get those raised beds up so you can get some good fall crops in before it gets too late, but be careful of that shipping crate. Make sure there's no oil if it was used to ship an engine. That may be a better choice for flower gardens rather than food crops. Edit: Forgot to mention, if you get Camelbaks for them, watch out for the cheep knock-offs. The bladders on them give the water a funky taste, and no telling what leaches out of them.
Y'all are not crazy.. it's a dream,and a great one at that..hard work with the kids has never hurt anyone. I sure they would love to help.. God bless yall.
The house is going to look amazing when it is done! I love how you guys are using the same home that was on the property! 🤗💕 You guys are so humble and kind. I love your channel💚💚💚
It’s looking good. Clean up is a lot of work and takes time. You’ll get it done eventually. For the chicken coop roof, maybe consider a green roof. That will keep it much cooler. Moss is a great all season material for it and doesn’t need a ton of soil.
LOL! You have"roadlag"! It does take time to get going. Especially when you are in the hottest part of the season. Just pace yourself. Don't be disappointed if you don't do what you wanted to do. You have plenty of time to get it done. Just think, "YOU ARE HOME", and it will sail by quickly. Good luck, pace yourself,and cherish the time you have with your kids and each other!
For your chicken house roof, I suggest you paint the top silver, and staple silver foil insulation under the rafters. It will help with the heat a lot. Also, wrap your waterer in the silver insulation to keep the water cooler.
You just described my life. " run out of something that you need, it goes on hold until we get to town to get what we need." We buy as much as we can afford and then once that has been used the projects get put on hold again until we can get back to town. LOL Slow going but "slow and steady wins the race," right?
Pretty place. You're projects will come together in time. Nice homestead in the making. You could draw a project board of everything, and make it look like what you want it to be. Make it so that when it is finished you can see it come to life. The garden, the chicken coup, the outer building, and the house. If you draw a picture, it will be like a architect design, and you will really be able to focus on your end result. The work you've done so far is amazing.
I’d like to suggest that you talk to a reptile society in your area to talk about what snakes are around what ones to encourage what ones to discourage and first aid for snake bites. 😇
Love to see your updates. Think you've become part of all of our families now! You are going to be the envy of the NC homesteaders, though there are really good people there. Ben's gigantic skills will have your looking palatial by Wintertime. Love your enthusiasm to get the dirt on your finger nails! Good for you. You'll be brilliant! You ARE brilliant, people! TFS
IBC totes make great raised beds, if you cut them in half, as long as nothing toxic, is in them. Keep an eye out for window ac units on clearance, or 4th of July sales, It will help with working in the trailer. Maybe a bleach tablet pool floater would deliver a steady stream of chlorine to your little spring. Who knows, maybe you can dig it out, and create a seep pond. The boys would love it!
Awesome progress Hollar Family. Your one step at a time approach is wise. When you take your time with any project unexpected gifts always appear. When we set up our temporary holiday trailer first thing we did was to construct a full length deck. Then we built a secondary roof system over top of the trailer. The additional roof system keeps us dry & warm when needed and cool when needed. Wishing you loads of success on your journey.
I hope you'll highlight the process while you're working on the mobile home. I think it would be very helpful to those of us who live in old mobile homes. So excited to see your homestead bloom into reality!
I sprayed my vegetables with water in the morning when it got late in the year. Everything was dead in the country side except my garden. It didn't even have to be that early in the morning. Don't harvest green beans when their wet, they get "rust". We had beansprouts in the snow they do well! Many vegetables I liked when fresh, I never liked before. We planted marigolds with our tomatoes, keeps the bugs away and so much to learn about companion planting and rotating crops.
That giant wooden crate is an apple farm crate. Fruit farmers use them to fill to the brim and move them with fork lifts to normally juice them or bushel them.
We really appreciate the updates. Definitely wait til winter for the remaining trash as the snakes, spiders and ticks will be history. Much easier to see the trash when the leaves are gone too. Keep up the great work.
My brother and I still own our childhood home which is a 1971 mobile home on the coast of Florida and we have been fixing it bit by bit so it can be done, so proud of what y’all have accomplished good job.
You have to pace yourself...no comparison with anyone else. Many say that year one is getting to know your land. Make sure kids are not neglected and included with projects as much as possible. God bless.. Speak that word over your land...
Year one? Heck! We've been on our land 3 years and 3 months and still getting to know our lousy 4 acres. It is ever changing with the seasons and erosion. I love watching everyone's journeys and learning from them. Keep up the good work "steaders".
Big bag of striped sunflower seeds for birds would be a good batch of sunflowers. Big crate could be a great starter compost bin. Take it easy in the heat.
If you dye you hair and wash it in iron rich well water it will affect the color and usually not in a good way. Be safe! From the hissing bed liner, wasps, snakes & clean up.
Have you watched Out In The Country, a couple in Michigan, they are redoing their mobile home from studs to walls. And are just starting their homestead too
Looking good. 👍🏻Everytime you upload an update it looks so much better and gets harder and harder to even remember what the buildings looked like when you started.👍🏻👍🏻
I used 2 x 4 dog lot wire for the top on mine and it WILL keep big stuff out. SOOOOO many chicken littles crying out, "the sky is falling" Dang, some might think ya'll are children and not mature (not old) wise parents of 4 boys!! That lumber will be fine used to brace tin sides or whatever YOU decide to use it for!! Lordy, people. Meg, Ben, I think you can figure things out based on how many farms ya'll have been on and the 'steaders you follow and the gardens you have visited!!! Send prayers people, not "chicken little" advice!!! There is no one remotely knowledgable out here that doesn't know about arsenic in the old pressure treated lumber, these people are from Cali!!!!! The strangest, weirdest, most regulated state in the US! 🤣😂 Sorry, (not sorry), but ya just gotta' laugh at some of the comments!! @Out In The Country is right, everything we do is personal and individual to each one of us!! There are TOO many deciding blanket issues that affect us all that should remain an individual decision! Peace out and LOVE each other, abide in God's Love First, and all will be well in the end! Love and kisses! Not too late to plan a fall garden with the collards, kales, cabbages, that will take you through the winter!! Jim Wilson just showed a video of his covered beds. You can cover the greens and eat fresh all winter long! My collards were covered in 13" of snow and were so good and they weren't covered either. Never even suffered a brown leaf from it.
Thank you for that Gail!! I needed to hear that boost. ❤️
@@TheHollarHomestead Hug that wonderful husband and ya'll jump in that pool and chillax!
Gail Elwood -- How to find Jim Wilson? I am interested in winter crops, etc.
I think maybe a deep breath is needed and just sit back and enjoy the development of the Holler Homestead.
Yes, Ben and Meg are such capable people. When they do feel the need for advise or a helping hand, all those friends that were there on demo day have a wealth of knowledge and experience between them. They have a plan and the will. The rest of us can enjoy watching the journey.
Sweet people, I am very happy for you! So looking forward to your adventure in building your homestead. Also very happy you mentioned you are not working yourselves to exhaustion and forgetting why you are doing this! Family the most precious gift! ❤❤❤
Nancy Hall Sweet Potato -- Kudos on propogating this rare variety! I love your idea of spreading slips around to preserve the heirloom variety. So glad that Miss Charlotte is propogating hers to replace the ones her dad lost. That kind of thing can bring a grown man to tears! Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA -- 7/3/2019.
You might want to check out a simple radiant barrier for the roof of your chicken palace, and stacking straw bales around the walls. As long as they aren't getting too wet to hurt the steel siding, along with the barrier, it will keep your mother cluckers warm in the winter and cool through the summer.
It's great to see you both so happy! We bought 4 acres in NZ 5 years ago, still got tons to do but don't care! We're just enjoying the peace and quiet and family time. 😁
Think about planting flowers as a cash crop.. Low or no maintenance types like bulb or tuber types, Irises, lilies and even hibiscus bushes. Also sunflower seeds are cheap. Plant tons at the edge of the woods, along fence rows etc, as a food source for winter. Plant them by the swamp to beautify it and make it useful.
Love that open floor plan ; )
When
I rehabbed the old farmhouse I'm in now, I wanted thicker insulation, so
I sistered in wider studs and used six inch fiberglass insulation. The house is so much easier to heat and doesn't get hot till afternoon.
About the only folks who don't have to worry about a winter fuel bill are the people who have an outdoor wood furnace.
In the summer I use box fans in the windows and pull air into the house from the shady side of the house and push it out the window of the sunny side of the house. Also, when I wash, I'll hang the laundry on hangers from close to the ceiling where the fan bringing air into the house blows on the clothes and get "evaporative cooling"! It's really nice!
Think about getting a couple of geese to protect your flock. They will kill snakes and warn you of any other predators trying to get in. I love seeing you guys bring life back to that old property. It's something I've dreamed of for a lot of years but am unable to do so it's fun to see you do it.
Put the wood ash in your chicken dust bath to prevent mites
Hi...... Ben and Meg , I really enjoy your video, thank you for sharing your video homestead chicken farmer garden 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 bye 👋 🐔🐓🐥👕🐖🌱🎥👍👍👍
Wow, so much has changed. That mobile home was like crossing out of the desert into the promise land!!! You made it!!! ALL that help was truly God's provision. Continued blessings.
I so enjoy watching you , i also bought 13.4 acres last spring all wooded, and had enought money left to clear a driveway and spot for tiny home, but then everything was on hold as i had 3 surgeries for cancer, i hope to get started soon on my plans,but meanwhile i'm cheering you on, Love the plans, God bless
You have the bones of a home, which is fixable. Will take time. Really need a good herd dog and goats or whatever you need. We had a few dogs all Black Labs in the Bush and helped with leading bears and wolves away, only 1 in all the years got bite, within a week he was out. Our neighbors 10 - 20 miles away had purebred dogs. Mine were left or found. I knew if the kids were doing something wrong or in danger the barks were different. No snakes there but other danger people showing up how I don't know? Boats,Helios & puddlejumbers only way in to us. Great life and so much nature. You are building a better life for your Family life. Peace, Love with Harmony sent.
Unless you know how old that pressure treated wood is, you will probably not want to plant food in garden beds made from it. It may have arsenic in it.
Megan and Ben you little love birds sitting in a tree. You guys look so sweet together. Love you all though we never have met. How can that ever be? Continued prayers as you build your life together as one.
I have been involved in building houses and remodelling for over 40 years. I have worked helping people repair their trailers a few times. Get a permit and put up a six room house that you can incorporate into your grand design. A trailer is a twenty year house. Has to be rebuilt every 20 years. Cheaper to do it right one time, even if it means waiting until you can afford it. My ex gf had a trailer that a hurricane ruined. She had a 16x 40 shed I converted to finished living space from framing to finish. For about ten thousand. That included a full bath, kitchen, electrical, plumbing, painted and trimmed, new flooring. I did all the work. So there was no labor cost. She said it was nicer than trailer ever was. Took the mini split from the trailer for the hvac. The hot water heater was also salvaged from the trailer.
If you put chicken wire right over the coop roof and plant climbers (pretty, edible or both) to grow over it that will help keep the roof cool and use the extra growing space.
Rats climb up climbing plants
When we moved to my daddys farm in western Va, he told us "now, theres a big 'ol black snake in the out buildings, leave him alone". Black snakes keep mice, rats and poisonous snakes away so leave them alone. We had chickens, but the snake never messed with them or the eggs. We had a raccoon get in the hen house, the chickens free ranged from then on out, they roosted in the bushes.
The Carolinas seem to have the market on supersize rat snakes. They are incredible climbers as well. I have put plastic snake fence on the coop area from starting 6 inches underground to cover all the walls, gables and roof areas. Have had snakes everywhere, but none on the coop area so far. Time to get a snake hook and grabber to escort them back into the woods. I keep the grass very short around the house and barn. Snakes don't like being in the open and after 40 years of watching them I find them in hiding places everywhere we live. We even had a rat snake home visit. That was interesting.
Yes, I understand the feeling of "pressure" that accompanies an attempt to preserve and perpetuate something extremely rare! I'm working on three heirloom varieties for 2019: Pawnee Eagle Corn, Warted Incan Creampuff squash, and Ozette Potato. I wish you every success with your endeavors! Kate.
Like it or not, I've "adopted" your family! Love watching your dreams come true, thanks for generously sharing with us all! Glad you are keeping family-time in the forefront, you don't want your boys to come to hate the move if it's all work. Can't wait to see what chickens you get! Old tires make great dust baths.
So glad you are having that family time! Like you said it's so important. Children grow up way too fast! Enjoy them! And each other. Hugs :)
Bird netting will catch and hold snakes, they try to go through but end up dying. Last year our hens were saved from five copperheads that tried unsuccessfully to get into their pen. This year, so far the netting has saved them from three copperheads and three big chicken snakes. I buy the 14 x 14' netting and cut it to the width I want to use.
Wow, great to know, I hope they read this one
Depending on the size of the pool I put a pop-up canopy over my kids pool to keep them from getting sunburned
On the garden, start out small. You guys can grow a ton of food in as little 100 square feet. Then do a green manure crop like clover legume mix in a larger area for next growing season . Low maintenance and doable quickly without a large amount of money or risk.
When you live in the south you learn to tackle outdoor chores early in the am and late in the afternoon as the sun lowers in the sky. I’m out in the garden just before sunrise and before sunset. Of course the other thing is the mosquitoes and giant creepy crawlies that live out here are another consideration on planning projects. Love your family and your enthusiasm and optimism. I’m a child of the 80’s so I’m loving the references and music. Take care!
It's nice to forget about the clock and be getting up when the birds start to sing. The sunrises are so beautiful!
You guys are ding great! The coop is coming along, the trash is being relocated, you have a fire pit and the start of a vegetable washing station! Amazing. You can be very proud of the work you've accomplished. CHICKENS!!
Blessings from NE Missouri!
I agree, this is more fun than HGTV! 🌸
I have some heirloom sweet potatoes from my great grandfather. My family has planted them every year for probably close to 100 years. They are the best sweet potatoes I have ever had. The inside of them is a lot darker than what you buy in the store. If you want some I can get you some slips. I have a ton left over. I also live in NC.
Slow n steady wins the race!!!!!! Good luck BE SAFE BE WELL AND PEACE OUT
That's great about the spring and the water test! Must have good water. And I'm sure y'all already know about guineas and ticks, and ducks and snakes, so that's covered. With chickens and a few rabbits to supply black gold, your garden should look like Eden in no time! 👍🏻✌🏻
You might like Rhode Island Reds. They lay huge double-yoke brown eggs and are big enough for meat. They lay an egg a day each. Murray McMurray had chicks on sale and might still. I've tried flocks of all the other large egg layers and have ended up favoring these. They're easy going. Another thing that has worked well for me and them is to let them out to roam one hour before roosting. That way they get fresh bugs and grass then go back in by themselves before having time to dig dust holes, eat the garden and destroy the flower beds! When they are let out they are so funny to watch because they're so excited. Guineas are wonderful for warning you of predators and strangers, plus they eat every bug, flea and tick . . and termites! If you raise them with the chicks, they will also safely roost with them and be protected. Fall weather will be pure Heaven! :)
I am maybe repeating myself but Hunny and I were 14 years remodeling our retirement home while we lived in it. Just pace yourselves and you'll get there. Remember that children grow up FAST and you can NEVER get those years back so just know that this is YOUR life and we only see what it is you are comfortable sharing so advice without all the pertinent facts is of no real use. I only ask to be enlightened and entertained while peeking into your world...you're doing a fine job building YOUR dream so never second guess your decisions and enjoy this journey building the Holler Homestead!!!:):):)
Hope y'all are going to make a weekly trip to habitat for humanity restore . Every day new merch comes in . When you're rehabbing or doing remodel it's worth the trip if it's not too far away
Reposting: Hi Meg and Ben. The wooden crate shown at 10:48 is most likely a fruit crate. Since it is a larger size, my suspicions are for apples. We see wood crates all over the place at orchards in eastern WA. Farmers stack the fruit crates on pallets and then use a forklift to store the apples before processing or shipping. The wood from fruit crates is not pressure-treated, so it could be used for your raised bed garden. Best wishes, Kate.
Looking great so far! Enjoy your time together and building together too. When we finally get our/my spot it will be bitter sweet. Fulfillment of my husband and I's dream. Praying he will live to get to move on to it as he was diagnosed with stage 4 gallbladder cancer 3 months ago. Every day we are together is a giant gift from God. Hence why I said enjoy your time together building your dream because as we all know tomorrow is not promised.
fyi: OUT IN THE COUNTRY is a couple starting a homestead. they are rebuilding their mobile home. gutting it and redesigning. the 'dad' explains things really well. and the chicken coop he built is awesome. can't wait to see you in your home! you two are just too cute. this old lady loves watching your journey. god bless
I would suggest you add a room on the mobile home...at the family room. Possibly storage and/or closet...just to give more space. If you would like to use wood heat, this would be the place. You could put a screen porch on it, or, go all the way to the front to expand the kitchen. I know there will be canning and freezing...would give you space for a freezer.. Just a suggestion...but something that would only make sense when you're doing the renovation,
Love what you're doing.
Yes Michael cook even As a minimalist, if you plan to do any canning or have a large pantry Etc you need that room. Eventually a screened-in porch is vital here in the south. It's an extra room so you can feel outside and not deal with bugs. Put a fan overhead and it's wonderful. You will spend a lot of time out there. Just don't put it on the Southside
Listening to your plans and "seeing" your vision is so inspiring. I enjoy these videos immensely. Thank you for sharing!
God bless you and your family.
A juvenile hawk got in to our chick nursery last year. It had that black netting on it. My 2 cents, hardware cloth is better.
Enjoy this time of your life. Please don't feel like you must rush. Good things will come.
I hate that people leave trash all over their property. We are still cleaning up trash from our land. Dump fees add up. You guys are going so great! Keep up the good work. Y’all are a great team! You need goats and pigs ASAP❤️.
Hi guys, from Missouri!
Make sure the coop is tight (I got ¼ inch hardware cloth on my window) so I can leave it open all the time. We started our homestead last year and I wanted a permanent coop but also grass for chickens. We have the chicken door in the middle of a back wall and I didn't build a run. Instead I use 164ft long premier 1 electric fence and move it periodically from left to center to right of the chicken door. Top is open. I did put a pair of Turkey decoys (used for hunting) with their heads looking up-ish in the "pen" and moved them daily to look more real 😉 We got a lot of hawks but never lost a chicken. The fence did fry up a black snake once and a skunk too. Also when chicks were little I put cd's on the grass (shiny side up) pointing different directions to blind the hawks if they ever tried to swoop down 😉 We don't need the Turkey decoys anymore.
The skin could've been a black snake, you want those around (just not in the coop) they will get rid of copperheads. Wish you best of luck!
Someone mentioned getting goats for the kudzu. They will also take care of poison oak and ivy. I feed mine big bale hay in a rack during the winter. the hay they drop on the ground makes a great compost pile. Just something to think about You guys are doing a great job. Best of everything for you!!
Do you know what kind of chemical pesticides are in that pressure-treated lumber? They say with some pesticides you need to be careful handling the wood and that burning can send some of the arsenic up in smoke so don't inhale. I am so happy for you ALL! Baby steps and I will be scouting around for Nancy Hall sweet potatoes. Have a great rest of the week.
Love watching the progress. Y'all are great at passing on the vision, I can see your future homestead in my mind. "Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it." Hab 2:2
That's cool that you are keeping the sweet potato going, things are going great on your homestead you have all the time in the world now 🙂👍🐝🦋
We bought twenty acres last June and moved our camper to the land last September, where we've been living since then. We sold our home of fourteen years and am now building our little cabin in the woods. This journey is amazing and I certainly understand the amount of work that y'all are having to put in. It is so worth it. We got our garden in this spring and it has been a game changer for us. We will expand it next year, but it is providing food for us this summer. I am SO excited for y'all to get something in the ground. God is so good y'all! Keep doing what your doing and if you get enough propagated, I'd love to help preserve those heirloom sweet potatoes. 💖
If you have raccoons around they are smart and flexible to crawl through slim area. Enjoy your homestead, do what you can, enjoy the planning, sunrises, sunsets and your family. Blessings!
Yeah. It's amazing how small a hole can be that a large raccoon can fit through
We've got that red film too in our creek. I never knew what it was. It makes sense that it is related to iron. We have a bunch of old scrap iron that someone dumped upstream in our creek. There is none of it upstream of the scrap iron.
Some rigid foam insulation boards on the ceiling of that coop would keep the heat out. Paint the metal roof white too
Welcome to NC gang, when it is hot it is hot. You are doing the right thing work early and late and rest the middle of the day. That is what my wife and I do in remodeling our new home. I have to have my nap time hahaha just take your time and it will happen before you know it.
I was really hoping the snake skin was a rare piece of teakwood grown on your property, but no such luck. You are taking the new types of critters very well, and I say southern living ain't for sissies! Doing things in shifts during this heat is wise. Love the tours! Love you guys!
"Dancing".....totally laughed out loud!!🤣🤣🤣 You guys are doing great. Glad your taking time during the day to hang with the boys. You dont burn yourselves out and the boys love it. After all, they been hanging out with you for months on end with your country travel. You both need to go jump in the pool!! Love seeing your videos. ❤❤❤
It's so nice to hear how happy you are the traveling time is over time to put your land feet and hands put to work it all takes time good luck with everything your on the straight and narrow love to hear from you and your beautiful voices ,hugs from CANADA 🇨🇦🇨🇦❤️❤️
have the boys collect swamp leaves and /or willow branches and weave a shade screen for the chicken coop.
or over their pool(or pop up tent)
I love you guys on that not wasting....it's not just a money saver it's the saving the planet;) and teaching kids right.... not to be wasteful and be more adaptable....
So awesome to be working on your OWN property! I totally understand about the heat. We are dealing with the same here in Kentucky. I have taken to doing outside work mostly in the morning and early evening. Inside work I try to reserve for the hottest time of the day.
Speaking of work on the homestead. Have you heard of, or seen any of The Self Reliant Roadshow? I did a shout out for them on my channel. They are doing some AWESOME work! Everybody talks about "community", but Bob and Mrs. B are actually doing something to encourage making connections and building community. They are traveling the country to homesteads where they have been invited and helping with from anything from simple projects, to advice in certain areas of homesteading, to major projects like helping Jeff at Bobblehead Homestead get his new home ready to move into. I am asking other channels to help them out by giving them a shout out. They are doing some really great work and deserve to be spot lighted. I go into more detail on my video "This Is Important". PLEASE, check them out and consider giving them a shout out.
Very thoughtful with the sweet potatoes 😘 💕 Slow down and breath! You have your lifetime to enjoy your homestead and lives. Bless you 💕
Daisies they will double every year ..my mom did it on a hill...its BEAUTIFUL
Just had to end with 80s music just made the video! 😂 great video. Good luck to y’all! Everything has vision which is awesome!
If you take bunches of oregano after cleansing it will keep the orange away. Clay in the soil. wrap bushes with jute and tie it around edges of water source. add to it as needed let oregano decompose natural. a lot at first but in time less less will be needed we done it to our spring bed. Plant it close to your water sources Yeah. FYI. might help
I'm still laughing my butt off at the "dancing" wasps. Thanks for the update.
Great job, good progress, much calmer, good plans, nice smiles! Mike
The motor crate would make a good compost bin.
Dropped in to catch up on how you are doing. Progress! Little by little, I am there. The well report is wonderful news. Love and prayers!
We are getting there! Miss you!!
It's funny how much you can come to love people you've never actually met. This is WAY beyond mail order brides and that worked out really well for a lot of folks during that time. This is more like "adopt a family!" I woke up thinking about you this morning. What do you think about painting the inside of those walls with a bleach mixture to make sure you kill any mold spores that might have been hiding behind the sheetrock and insulation? No one's living in there yet, so it could dry and air out for weeks, as needed. Open all the windows on the hot/windy days. By the time you're ready to paint and re-insulate, I would think the walls would be ready? Who in these comments has experience with something like this? What's the best way to seal... treat... recondition walls in this condition?
Kilz primer/sealer.
Love the out door sink. Yes, plant sunflowers, they entice bird life. You have done so much cleaning up. You have certainly been working hard. Interesting about the bacteria and the use of drops of chlorine to clean the water. Good priorities guys, family life is so important. Kids will remember their childhood and wow, they certainly are making some great memories. Have fun and keep those smiles happening, so good to see. Cheers, Jo from Australia xxxxx
Great work so far guys. As for the heat -- welcome to the South -- just take it easy and hydrate. Get the kids some good canteens or stainless steel water bottles they can carry around with them, and make sure they stay hydrated while out and about doing kid things. Camelbaks may not be a bad idea. That way they won't set it down and forget it.
Get those raised beds up so you can get some good fall crops in before it gets too late, but be careful of that shipping crate. Make sure there's no oil if it was used to ship an engine. That may be a better choice for flower gardens rather than food crops.
Edit: Forgot to mention, if you get Camelbaks for them, watch out for the cheep knock-offs. The bladders on them give the water a funky taste, and no telling what leaches out of them.
🌻🌻🌻 I LOVE the sunflower idea.🌻🌻🌻
You guys are doing great. Get your boys swim shirts to keep the sunburns down. That saved my boys. Happy homesteading.
Y'all are not crazy.. it's a dream,and a great one at that..hard work with the kids has never hurt anyone. I sure they would love to help.. God bless yall.
The house is going to look amazing when it is done! I love how you guys are using the same home that was on the property! 🤗💕
You guys are so humble and kind. I love your channel💚💚💚
It’s looking good. Clean up is a lot of work and takes time. You’ll get it done eventually.
For the chicken coop roof, maybe consider a green roof. That will keep it much cooler. Moss is a great all season material for it and doesn’t need a ton of soil.
Im so happy for you!!! It all looks great! Good plans for everything! Enjoy it Hollers!!! 😄😄
LOL! You have"roadlag"! It does take time to get going. Especially when you are in the hottest part of the season. Just pace yourself. Don't be disappointed if you don't do what you wanted to do. You have plenty of time to get it done. Just think, "YOU ARE HOME", and it will sail by quickly. Good luck, pace yourself,and cherish the time you have with your kids and each other!
For your chicken house roof, I suggest you paint the top silver, and staple silver foil insulation under the rafters. It will help with the heat a lot. Also, wrap your waterer in the silver insulation to keep the water cooler.
You just described my life. " run out of something that you need, it goes on hold until we get to town to get what we need." We buy as much as we can afford and then once that has been used the projects get put on hold again until we can get back to town. LOL Slow going but "slow and steady wins the race," right?
Pretty place. You're projects will come together in time. Nice homestead in the making. You could draw a project board of everything, and make it look like what you want it to be. Make it so that when it is finished you can see it come to life. The garden, the chicken coup, the outer building, and the house. If you draw a picture, it will be like a architect design, and you will really be able to focus on your end result. The work you've done so far is amazing.
I’d like to suggest that you talk to a reptile society in your area to talk about what snakes are around what ones to encourage what ones to discourage and first aid for snake bites. 😇
Love to see your updates. Think you've become part of all of our families now! You are going to be the envy of the NC homesteaders, though there are really good people there. Ben's gigantic skills will have your looking palatial by Wintertime. Love your enthusiasm to get the dirt on your finger nails! Good for you. You'll be brilliant! You ARE brilliant, people! TFS
Also ash bath for chickens to keep lice and mites off your chickens 👌
IBC totes make great raised beds, if you cut them in half, as long as nothing toxic, is in them. Keep an eye out for window ac units on clearance, or 4th of July sales, It will help with working in the trailer. Maybe a bleach tablet pool floater would deliver a steady stream of chlorine to your little spring. Who knows, maybe you can dig it out, and create a seep pond. The boys would love it!
Awesome progress Hollar Family.
Your one step at a time approach is wise. When you take your time with any project unexpected gifts always appear.
When we set up our temporary holiday trailer first thing we did was to construct a full length deck. Then we built a secondary roof system over top of the trailer. The additional roof system keeps us dry & warm when needed and cool when needed. Wishing you loads of success on your journey.
I hope you'll highlight the process while you're working on the mobile home. I think it would be very helpful to those of us who live in old mobile homes. So excited to see your homestead bloom into reality!
I sprayed my vegetables with water in the morning when it got late in the year. Everything was dead in the country side except my garden. It didn't even have to be that early in the morning. Don't harvest green beans when their wet, they get "rust". We had beansprouts in the snow they do well! Many vegetables I liked when fresh, I never liked before. We planted marigolds with our tomatoes, keeps the bugs away and so much to learn about companion planting and rotating crops.
That giant wooden crate is an apple farm crate. Fruit farmers use them to fill to the brim and move them with fork lifts to normally juice them or bushel them.
Sara Kennedy yes I agree ☝️ we have four of them just like that we made a 2 chicken coop, dog house
We really appreciate the updates. Definitely wait til winter for the remaining trash as the snakes, spiders and ticks will be history. Much easier to see the trash when the leaves are gone too. Keep up the great work.
That pile of lumber will probably hiss too. Yikes. Be safe. So exciting!! Enjoy your new place.
My brother and I still own our childhood home which is a 1971 mobile home on the coast of Florida and we have been fixing it bit by bit so it can be done, so proud of what y’all have accomplished good job.
You have to pace yourself...no comparison with anyone else. Many say that year one is getting to know your land. Make sure kids are not neglected and included with projects as much as possible. God bless..
Speak that word over your land...
Very good advice!
Year one? Heck! We've been on our land 3 years and 3 months and still getting to know our lousy 4 acres. It is ever changing with the seasons and erosion. I love watching everyone's journeys and learning from them. Keep up the good work "steaders".
Frogs are like Canaries in mines. They let you know your stream is healthier than you know. Frogs and crayfish.
the tires you can use to grow potato in stacks and up cycle them
Big bag of striped sunflower seeds for birds would be a good batch of sunflowers.
Big crate could be a great starter compost bin.
Take it easy in the heat.
If you dye you hair and wash it in iron rich well water it will affect the color and usually not in a good way. Be safe! From the hissing bed liner, wasps, snakes & clean up.
Have you watched Out In The Country, a couple in Michigan, they are redoing their mobile home from studs to walls. And are just starting their homestead too
Yes they are great very much got it together well planned out this couple is still scattered seem overwhelmed
We used reflectiks bubble foil in our chicken coop in Wisconsin it worked great.
Looking good. 👍🏻Everytime you upload an update it looks so much better and gets harder and harder to even remember what the buildings looked like when you started.👍🏻👍🏻
I am glued to my monitor. Marathon watching all these videos in order. LOVE THEM!
A field of dandelions would be awesome. then chop and drop the leaves hold tons of calcium to help build the soil.